The FCSF volunteer program allows us to put into practice, in an
immediate way, the foundations projects. Putting
volunteers of different backgrounds (social and environmental) into San
Francisco to develop, with the people, activities oriented towards the
practice
and teaching of different methods that allow them to achieve
sustainable development; being aware of conservation and care of
natural and human treasures.
Additionally, the program is extended to environmental, health,
education, art and architecture areas.
Understanding them is a part of the daily basis of work in the
community.

In this context the volunteers integrate with the daily activities
of the people of San Francisco to prevent them from being part of a
situation
where they are just tourists or simple observers of the reality of San
Francisco, in this way there can be a mutual benefit: the volunteer
delivers their academic knowledge
and work, the community in turn pays them back with their wisdom and
many experiences - practical and living - for a big cultural exchange.

Participating in the FCSF volunteering program means to work
ethically and under a code of conduct. Making a commitment, morally as
well as for working with the foundation:

Moral, during your participation in the program, as a
volunteer, you are part of FCSF in the eyes of the community, so you
are a representative of the foundation and should conduct yourself
accordingly.

The working commitment, while volunteering with FCSF you acquire the rights and obligations that other FCSF members have,
this includes successful completion of the assigned project(s) and a report of the results obtained.

Kinds of volunteers and activities:

Volunteer

Environment, research and conservation

With a goal of refreshing and compiling information of vital
importance to the development of our projects, the volunteer makes a
list of species in an area,
classifiying the plants and animals or ethno-botanic surveys.
Additionally, the volunteer participates in the reforestation
processes, working in community nurseries, or farms. At the end of his
or her work, the volunteer presents a detailed report of their
activities.

Family

Social work

This job consists in constantly reinforcing the "attitude changes"
that the conservation projects produce in the daily activities of
families and their extended families;
observation and determination of the problems of the inner nucleus of
the family and future changes, evaluating the vested interest in the
development of these activities,
description and evaluation of the possible repercussions on the family
and the community, quantifying the level of improvement in the family's
life and how it affects the community, etc.

The volunteer needs to conclude with a family impact study at the family level and on the community level with a comparison of
before and after and direct or indirect impact of FCSF projects.

Education

Education (language classes)

For volunteers with an aptitude in educational work for basic
language classes or participation in the process of education in
general. Whether it's with kindergarten, primary school or high school
students, focusing in development of the childrens ability to express
themselves,
their personality skills, development of natural skills, comprehension
of the language, organization capabilities, problem solving skills,
etc.
Volunteers must make an evaluation of the students before commencing
with the job, following the typological cases and with a report
containing the goals, activities, procedures and results reached in
order to give continuity to the work done.

Carpenter

Arts and design

The volunteers in the design and art areas participate actively, and
in direct contact with the craftsmen (not metal-work), in the
development and design of ideas, techniques, work methods and teaching
of the design process and compositions, etc.

Volunteers carry the theory directly into practical work, taking
into accout that the craftsmen that you are working with have a low
level of education, that's why activities are developed within a
defined schedule and in an established working envitonment. For the
progress of the class it is important that you do not exclude personal
ideas during the class.

The volunteer must create documentation of activities and the
procedures developed containing the featured topics as much as the
evolution process of the craftsmen and include an evaluation of the
creative potential of the group. Description and quantification of the
proposed designs, etc.

Construction

Architecture, urbanism and construction

A volunteer in architecture, urbanism and construction areas chooses
work in a revitilazation project of the coastal area (in development,
supervised by an architect),
urban furnishings and sign making, architectonic analysis of the area
or profiling the roads to elaborate local blueprints of the vicinity,
developing basic classes of methods and techniques of construction,
room usage, etc.

The volunteer's work must conclude with a general compilation of the
imformation obtained, while embracing the topic in which he or she is a
specialist (architecture and urbanism and the urban proposal,
elaborating on blueprints, etc., construction in the study of the
typology and constructive techniques, weather efficiency analysis of
the materials, etc.).

The volunteers work with the community and under the supervision of a foundation member.

Moreover, the volunteers will work in different activities that
require community development, in the "mingas" or common volunteering
work which is one of the traditional practices of Ecuadorian
communities.

The volunteers will arrive in a warm tropical zone in almost primitive conditions.

Conditions for volunteering:

• Financing: The volunteers will have to pay for their own expenses, including the ticket to Ecuador.
  The cost* of USD 350/month or USD 150 / 10 days includes:
  • Reception and transportation from the airport to the central office.
  • Downtown Colonial Quito Tour (one day).
  • 3 meals per day.
  • Lodging (in a house provided by the FCSF or with a family).
  • Office material.
  • PC access in the volunteer's house.
  • Administrative costs.

  * Other prices apply for volunteers of Ecuadorian nationality, please contact the Volunteer Coordinator.
  Volunteers must have their own health insurance.

• Duration limit: minimum 10 days, maximum is dependant on the visa (a tourist visa is 90 days, but can be extended).
• Schedule of work: the volunteer schedule depends on the tasks to acomplish, these are defined with the Volunteer Coordinator.
• Skills: A university study is not required to be accepted into
  the program. Volunteers must have interest in conservation of the
  environment or the fields related to sustainable development.

Requirements for the application:

The necessary requirements for volunteers to be accepted into the program are the following:

1. USD 15 application fee (non refundable: can be paid upon arrival or
   by money transfer/order or by credit card through paypal by clicking
   the button below (note: you should have cookies enabled).
2. Letter of application (indicating the period in which you want to work and your motivations)
3. Curriculum vitae / Resume
4. Health certificate
5. 2 passport sized photos

Please send this information at least one month before your start date by fax (+5932) 2788061 or by post to:

Fundación Cabo San Francisco
Programa de Voluntarios
Casilla 17- 15- 73- B
Quito-Ecuador
América del Sur

For information before traveling to the coast volunteers must
contact the volunteer work Coordinator by phoning the office in Quito, Alangasi, Parque Central
by phoning (++5932) 2788061 from Monday till Friday

There the volunteers receive all the information necessary to arrive at the site from Quito.

What should you bring?

• rubber boots (if needed for your work)
• water poncho
• flashlight
• mosquito net
• sheets and/or sleeping bag
• insect repellent
• suntan lotion
• canteen
• bathing suit
• knife
• sunglasses
• plastic bags for dry storage

Personnel of the Foundation will always be in contact with the volunteers, starting with the arrival at the airport.